The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
by Emerald-Shadow-Knight
Summary: The Duck Hunt Dog has become rabid, and must be put down. Now lies the question: Which fighter is brave enough to perform the grisly deed?
1. Chapter 1

Note: I have no idea what the Duck Hunt Dog's name would be, so I just refer to him as Ducky.

I also have no idea what some of the newer character's personalities are like, considering I've not played some of the games they're from.

Disclaimer: Super Smash Brothers belongs to Nintendo.

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><p>Smash Mansion was quiet in the hours before breakfast time. Most of the brawlers were asleep, a strong contrast to the forthcoming battles of the day.<p>

Shulk was the only one awake, being on kitchen duty. He wasn't too happy, having this job for the week. After all, there were numerous mouths to feed, and there was always at least one argument breaking out.

Nobody seemed to remember the 'no fighting off the battlefield' rule. Thankfully, Shulk wasn't on cleaning duty. That was reserved for another brawler.

Regardless, it didn't make having to cook enough food for nearly fifty fighters any easier. After setting an enormous pot of water to boil, Shulk pulled out a bag of expensive dog food, and poured it into a food dish to the very top.

As quietly as he could, given there were some of his fellow fighters sleeping on the first floor, Shulk took the dog food bowl out to the backyard. Upon reaching the fenced in area that housed their Duck Hunting dog, Shulk whistled for him.

Normally, Ducky would come bounding and slobbering towards his meal. But there was no response. No dog came running out of his big doghouse.

The silence was enough to put the man on edge. Against his better wishes, Shulk opened the fence and looked around.

"Ducky! Hey, Ducky! Breakfast time!" Still no dog. Shulk set the dog food down, taking on a reluctant pace of walking. "Ducky?" In fact, one of the first sounds of the day were barking and quacking. Neither had rung out this time.

Just as Shulk was about to turn around and go back inside, he stepped on something that felt unpleasant. He cursed having been barefoot this early. He looked down, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

The dog's constant companion was laying on the ground, a mangled mess of blood and feathers. Its neck was bent at an unnatural angle, staring up at him with lifeless eyes. Parts of it appeared to be eaten.

"What in Gaur Plain...?" Shulk had gotten halfway through the fenced area when it struck. Out of the doghouse came Ducky, charging towards him.

Or at least it looked like Ducky. Instead of a gentle, slobbering puppy the fighters loved to play with, there was a barking, snarling beast. The sides of the dog's mouth were foaming. Already, his next meal was in his sight.

Frightened, Shulk fell to the ground while scrambling to escape the vicious animal. The entire time, he was screaming at the top of his lungs. He could almost feel Ducky nipping at his heels.

He managed to get onto the other side of the fence and shut it, locking it so as not to let loose the monster that appeared to be Ducky. He then stumbled back into the house, dirty and frightened. He then ran through the halls and floors, calling for everyone.

"Hey! Someone help! Something's wrong with Ducky!" He hoped the other fighters could forgive him for interrupting their sleep. By the time he managed to cover every room in Smash Mansion, Shulk collapsed to the floor.

He could still hear Ducky's angry barking in the yard, as he waited for the other fighters to awaken and see what was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Remember: Ducky is the dog.

Disclaimer: Super Smash Brothers is not something I own. Well, I own a game, just not the series itself.

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><p>Word spread quickly amongst the fighters that something was terribly wrong with Ducky. In his frantic state, Shulk tried to explain the sight he had come upon earlier. Initially, no one seemed to believe him.<p>

It wasn't until Mario foolishly ventured to the front of the fence that Shulk's story was confirmed. The loud "Mamma Mia!" was barely heard over the raucous barking.

"When was this discovered, Shulk?" The Wii Fit Trainer's voice questioned him. "Ducky showed no behavior like this until now. There's no way he could have been bitten by a rabid animal from when he was put into his pen until now."

Another fighter, Pit, spoke up. "Maybe the duck had it. But ducks can't get rabies, can they?"

The Trainer looked over at the winged boy. "They contract it, but they often die before it's transmitted. It still doesn't explain how it managed to reach Ducky. The only explanation is that he tried to eat its carcass and got the disease that way. Shulk, do you remember feeding him last night?"

It wasn't a good sign if he had to think. "I thought I did. Maybe I didn't feed him enough?" He couldn't say for sure, but he thought he saw the Trainer's nearly emotionless face frown.

"Whatever the reason, we have a dire situation on our hands. If we let Ducky into the fighting stages as he is, it will be certain death for all of us." She crossed her arms. "There's no way to know for sure if treatment will reach him at this rate."

"You don't mean...!" Some of the others began to show fearful expressions on their faces. The Wii Fit Trainer sadly nodded.

"Ducky needs to be put down. There's really no other way to put it."

...

The news of Ducky's impending fate cast a dark cloud over everyone. It was so painful to think about, all the matches for that day were cancelled. A few of the fighters were foolish enough to try to entice Ducky out of his doghouse.

Shulk and a few others sat on a bench nearby, sadly watching the rabid dog go berserk.

"I can't believe Ducky's going to die..." Pit was understandably crushed. He always enjoyed playing with the dog, even when Palutena told him not to do so.

"I feel bad for the one who has to do it, whoever it is..." Shulk and the others looked at each other. "Who is going to do it, anyway?"

No one said anything (although Link was a bit of a given for lack of speech). They hadn't heard the news of who would be assigned the grisly task of killing Ducky.

"Maybe it hasn't been decided yet? Or no one wants to say anything about it?" Everyone looked over at Link. "It's not you, is it?"

Link shook his head and moved his hands in an X motion. The sight then went to Pikachu.

"Pika Pi Pikachu Pika." The electric mouse spoke in its language what the group took to mean, "I don't want that on my conscience." Or something like that. Everyone else then noticed the Wii Fit Trainer walking by, presumably to shoo away the fighters provoking Ducky.

"Have you decided who's going to do it?" She looked over at the group, and shook her head.

"I asked around. No one's willing enough to do it. Well, some are, but I doubt they really want to do it."

Pit and Shulk stood up and joined her on both sides. "Are you saying no one's right to do this? I know this isn't a routine thing, but...No one?!" Pit's voice began to sound a little bit too shrill, like he was desperately trying to maintain his composure. "And there's no way to get Ducky back to normal?!"

The fighters at Ducky's fence turned to look at Pit falling to his knees, beginning to sob. The Wii Fit Trainer joined him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know this isn't something you want to face. But there's no other way to have this dealt with. As for who's right for this job, well..."

...

Pit, Shulk, and Link found themselves now walking an unfamiliar path. Pit was still wiping his eyes, trembling and holding onto Link for support.

The Wii Fit Trainer had inquired of Master Hand a certain place off of Smash Mansion's route. Master Hand didn't give much detail as to what exactly the place was, but the Trainer gave the three instructions as to what to do upon getting there.

After about 15 minutes, the three reached what looked like a shabbier version of Smash Mansion.

"Is this the place, Link? You've been here before, right?" Link took one look at the place and nodded. He then approached the door, and knocked three times in rapid succession. They were answered by a young man with red hair.

"Yes?" Link pulled out a paper and showed him what was on it. The young man looked at it, then stepped back to let them in.

Shulk looked around at the rest of the inhabitants. He didn't recognize any of them. Two children in parkas were running around with little hammers playing tag. A mouse that looked like a younger Pikachu was chasing them in what looked like a giant hamster ball.

"Poor Ice Climbers..." Pit whispered seeming to no one. "I liked spending time with them..." He looked over at Shulk, who still looked confused. "Oh! Uh...The guy at the door, his name's Roy. I don't know him personally, but apparently he knew Marth. You know Marth, right?"

At that question, Shulk nodded. He watched Roy sit next to a giant purple lizard creature, writing down something in lists. The three wandered through the house, before reaching a door with an unfamiliar symbol.

This time, it was Pit who knocked. Shulk noted an overpowering smell of tobacco. The three could hear grumbling as the door was opened.

"Yeah? What is it? I ain't doin' laundry this week..." The older man looked up to see it wasn't anyone he was living with. "Oh, it's you two, and...Dunno who you are, kid," he said to Shulk.

"Snake..." Pit seemed about to cry again. "We have a problem. One of our current fighters needs to be...to be...!" He couldn't finish, and buried his face into Link's shoulder. Shulk finished for him instead.

"One of our fighters is rabid. None of the others are willing to put him down. We were told to come here and ask if you were willing enough to do so."

"That so?" Snake pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and stomped on it. "Well, whatever it is, if it gets the bird boy there to stop crying about it, then sure, why not?"


End file.
